Chaplain’s Corner – Choices Part 4 (Habits)

Sep23

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Three weeks ago, we began a series on “Choices” and introduced the concept below:

  • Your desires drive your thoughts.
  • Your thoughts direct your actions.
  • Your actions become your habits.
  • Your habits mold your character.
  • Your character shapes your destiny.

If you have not already, I encourage you to go back and to read the three prior Chaplain’s Corners on Choices. Last week we touched on actions and how to conform our actions to our new heart and godly thoughts. Today we build on that theme to learn how to turn actions into habits.

Why are habits important? Habits are helpful tools. We form a habit through repetition, and when we repeat an action often enough, then it becomes encoded into our brain. The really important concept to remember is something that Vince Lombardi once said: “Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect.” We need to be sure we are taking the right actions before we try to build them into habits. And to ensure we are taking the right actions, we must first work on our desires and our thoughts.

For perfect habit formation, I like to use the analogy of learning a new skill, whether it be playing an instrument or excelling at a sport. The word that comes to mind is “practice.” If you think about practice in this context, you can see that it includes instruction in the action from someone who is an expert, performing the action, evaluating your progress, doing it again. Perfect practice; perfected habit. Here are a couple of experts in the formation of spiritual habits that I highly recommend:

Here are some practical ideas:

  1. Each morning. pray to God to direct your actions. “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).
  2. Be intentional about learning from others, modeling godly behavior. This speaks to the importance of seeking the company of godly people. The Bible is clear about this. “The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray” (Proverbs 12:26). “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend” (Proverbs 27:17).
  3. Constantly think about your actions and your choices about your actions. This might be a choice about what you say or what you do in any given situation. This is especially important if you are going into a challenging situation, or one that you know might have some temptations. Remember that even Jesus was tempted. And he overcame that temptation through the power of the Holy Spirit and by using the Word of God as his weapon. “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17).
  4. It helps to remember your motivation for your words and actions. “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 10:31).
  5. Periodically through the day, reflect on your words and actions from the past hour, during that last meeting or interaction, etc. Repent when needed; ask forgiveness when needed, thank God for his guidance when you know you have done well. “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? —unless indeed you fail to meet the test!” (2 Corinthians 13:5).

It’s so easy to drift into bad habits. Maybe we don’t even realize it until it’s done: a habit of collapsing in front of the television rather than going for a walk, or a habit of going for the cookie jar rather than the fruit bowl. (Remember, the tempter is always at work.) If you are following the steps above and still find it hard, then try some things that I have found helpful.

  1. Remove the temptation. (Put the fruit in the cookie jar?).
  2. Add a “sweetener” to your habits. I love to sit on my back porch in the morning, and I will get up early just to have time for my morning coffee outside. Add Bible study and you have reinforced an excellent habit of starting your day with time with God while enjoying God’s beautiful nature. And I put my Bible study materials by the back door so they are ready to grab on my way out. No excuses.
  3. Give yourself a break. If you miss a day or fall for the cookie, just enjoy the moment and prayerfully get back into your good intentions and good habits.

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9).

In Christ,

Judy

*James Clear did not write Atomic Habits from a Christian perspective, but the recommendations in his book are good and can easily be applied to our efforts in building good spiritual habits. I would read the first two recommendations first, and then add his book as a supplement.

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